WHITTIER, Calif. – The Linfield Wildcats fought hard but fell short in the second game of the season against the Whittier Poets, losing 76-69 on Saturday night at Dave Jacobs Court.
Linfield battled throughout the game, with a strong second-half performance closing the gap, but Whittier (1-0) managed to hold onto the lead, pulling away in the final moments of the contest.
The Wildcats got off to a slow start in the first half, trailing 40-32 at the break.
Jake Downing led the team with 14 points, hitting four three-pointers on the night.
Chase Bennett contributed 11 points, finishing a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Josh Ryan added 10 points, and
Cade Collins chipped in another 10 points, including a key three-pointer late in the game that helped keep Linfield within striking distance.
Whittier, however, was led by Aamari Smith, who put up a game-high 30 points, including several key baskets down the stretch. Tyler Watters added 8 points and 13 rebounds in the victory.
Linfield showed resilience in the second half, outscoring Whittier 37-36, with Downing and Bennett providing a spark. Downing added 8 points in the second period, while Bennett contributed all 11 of his points to keep the Wildcats competitive. Despite this, Linfield was plagued by seven turnovers in the final half and missed opportunities in the closing minutes, allowing Whittier to close out the game.
A jump shot by Collins with 90 seconds remaining gave Linfield a 69-68 lead before the Poets went on an eight point run to close out the game and secure the win.
Other notable performances for the Wildcats included Dayton Magaña with 5 points and
Garrett Callsen, who added 5 points of his own.
Logan Morrill pulled down 7 rebounds, contributing to Linfield's efforts in the paint.
The game saw nine lead changes and five ties.
NEXT
Linfield aims to secure its first win of the young season on Monday against La Verne as the Wildcats wrap up their California road trip at 3 p.m.